The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
today urged companies and other organisations to ignore information
they receive from three firms purporting to regulate health and safety
legislation.

HSE has received hundreds of complaints from companies across the
country that have been sent requests for payment in return for
compliance with health and safety law.

The three firms, all based in
north-west England, have written to companies all over Great Britain
asking for between £125 and £249 to ensure they comply with health and
safety law.

A Liverpool firm calling itself the
Health and Safety Enforcement Agency (HSEA) demands £125 for a health
and safety compliance pack. The Manchester-based Health and Safety
Compliance Agency (HSCA) says a health and safety compliance register
will become law on 1 May and that all businesses should apply for
registration, for a fee of £129.25. A third company, the Health and
Safety Registration Enforcement Division (HSRED), which gives a
Rochdale address, tells recipients to pay up to £249 for health and
safety registration.

Anyone receiving literature from any
of these companies can ignore it; there is no legal need for anyone to
buy literature or services from these companies.

Justin McCracken, HSE’s Deputy
Directory General, said: “None of these companies is connected to HSE.
Organisations should be very wary of any approach from these firms, or
any company ‘offering’ similar services. All three firms use wording
suggesting they are official enforcement bodies, but they are not.

“HSE never writes indiscriminately to
firms seeking advance payment for services which it has not provided.

“These companies are asking for
significant sums of money, claiming they will send out information,
much of which HSE provides free of charge,” added Mr McCracken.

“HSE’s legitimate Health and Safety
Starter Pack is available to any business for £30. Not only does the
pack cost a lot less than the information provided by these companies,
but it is also the real thing."

HSE is liaising with trading standards
offices and the police, who are investigating all three companies.

Copies of The Health and Safety
Starter Pack: Health and Safety Advice and Guidance for New and Small
Businesses are available from HSE
Books, priced £30. ISBN 0 7176 2738.